Dinosaurs - what's the big deal?

They are fierce monsters and they go "rrraaaaaghh": they are a big deal!

I love dinosaurs, so much more interesting than unicorns.
I’m heartily sick of unicorns especially pink shiny ones on Tshirts that change in to owls when rubbed. What’s that about.
Hurrah for dinosaurs

Yes, down with unicorns - dinos forever!

All my grandchildren went through phases of being fascinated by dinosaurs. Not sure why, but it seems a natural thing. Maybe because they are so huge and unlike anything we have on earth today.
Zebra fascination will come later maybe.

I've never understood the fascination with dinosaurs either. I much prefer animal species that still exist, and as dinosaurs are supposed to have become extinct due to a natural catastrophe we can't even use them to teach children about conserving nature!

I regard the dinosaurs as a phase and encourage children in my family to look at the birds and animals around us as much as possible. Plus animals like the Bengal and Siberian tigers, who will shortly be extinct if we don't wake up and do something to conserve them.

I am pretty sure it’s because they stomp and roar as far as out 2yr old DGD is concerned! Our 4yr old DGD is heavily into unicorns - way more girly but who cares!

I agree! To me it's really weird how everyone (no, not everyone of course) seems to go potty about blooming dinosaurs. Then there's all the remarks about why they died out of course. It bores me witless.
As I was a teacher once I had to be enthusiastic and I loved how the littlies were so excited by them. Obviously it's the size factor which the biggest of course. Maybe I have a dinosaur loving gene missing? We can't all be the same. So I try to hide the yawns the mention of dinosaurs brings on, and think that it is amazing ... all that time ago... zzzzz.

Sorry. But then, I shouldn't judge either, because I cringe and breathe fire when people say they hate "modern Art" and come out with the "my grandson could have drawn something better than that" pompous remark. Yup, we're all different. But I'm glad I've grown out of dinosaurs.

I’ve got a dinosaur vertebra on my mantelpiece as well as other fossils, gems and rocks. I’m going to the Museum at Kimmeridge tomorrow with the Geology group and staying on for a day in Charmouth on Monday. I also want to see Dippy in Dorchester even though I’ve seen it many times in London. The Crystal Palace Park Victorian reoresentations of dinos are fascinating too. Why are so many people interested? Sheer wonder at life and a curiosity that I hope never dies. It needn’t stay only with dinosaurs (& they are not all big & scary).

DGCs 1_and 2 have bored me to death with them, but I did my duty! Thankfully DGD 2 is not yet interested, but it's noe horses, horses, horses! This I can engage with whole heartedly.

I can understand the fascination with dinosaurs
They were so big and fierce, like monsters in storybooks, except they actually existed.
The t.rex skeleton in the natural history museum is amazing!

I find them fascinating.

My DGS has gone to the O2 today, there’s a dinosaur thing on. He’s seven but still loves dinosaurs.
Educationally they are brilliant, I used to love hearing the extremely long names coming out of the mouth of such a little boy.
There was an episode of pointless that had a dinosaur ? question . I was brilliant.

Grannyactivist I once taught a reluctant reader who was so into dinosaurs that I utilised them and got him reading with enthusiasm.

My husband and GS are decorating biscuits with help from around 40 dinosaurs at this very minute! They go everywhere

Forgive me for being cynical but I believe there is money behind this dinosaur obsession. Huge marketing opportunities were spotted and are now being exploited. My grandson has dinosaur pyjamas, T-shirts, plates and mugs, a rucksack and a box full of plastic dinosaurs.
Also, there are stickers everywhere – not necessarily with dinosaurs – but sticking has become a widespread activity. And 'lift the flap' books. Mind you, anything that encourages young children to read must be a good thing.

You can buy dinosaur cake moulds in Lakeland.

They are an intriguing part of Earth's history, however, perhaps the modern 'obsession' with them started with Jurassic Park.

There is money behind every marketing ploy.
Pugs in tiaras, unicorns, and so on. Ugh!

Have just ordered tickets to see 'Dippy' who is touring the country.....a life-size dinosaurs. We will take our little 4 year old GD and cannot wait for her to stand next to this HUGE chap. I think that she will certainly have a wow moment and lets be honest we have to grab those moments when we can. Anyway, Grandma here wants to meet Dippy too and please don't ask me what kind of dinosaurs he is, just to say he is one of those ......saurs

The dinosaurs lived on earth for millions of years which is probably much longer than the human race will survive so they could prove to be this planet's most successful species. They are fascinating and should be respected and if it wasn't for natural catastrophes they could still be here. Humans, who supposedly have greater intelligence, will probably wipe themselves out either by war or overpopulation.

Just watching Jurrasic world so I can understand his fascination in them

I susoect the particular thing about little boys particularly and dinosaurs is twofold - firstly they are scary monsters which is always appalling, and secondly they have really exciting-sounding names that grownups can't seem to learn, so it gives a sense of power! I do have to take issue with OP's assertion that 'Unless you become a palaeontologist, there's precious little you can learn about them that is relevant today'....I am a geologist so that is the worst heresy to me!! What these skeletons tell us is more about how species evolve, how niches are exploited, what it is to be warm- or cold-blooded.....also the sediments in which we find them plus the state of preservation and the spatial dispersion of the bones gives information about the environment, possible cause of death and post-mortem predation. It horrifies me to hear someone say that fossils have no relevance to non-academics. Even if for most people they have little appeal, they spark the imagination of children.....surely this is of supreme relevance. ....or would you prefer your grandchildren to be dullards incapable of independent thought?

Suspect....appealing. ..I should preview b4 posting!

I completely get it, I remember my parents taking us to the Natural History Museum and being fascinated by the diplodocus skeleton, not having the knowledge that my son had when I took him years later, I thought that it would have been fearsome and savage rather than a passive grazing creature. My son went through quite a long love affair with dinosaurs and educated me on the different species. I think some of the Jurassic Park films hightened that interest. Nevertheless I do find the fact that there were these very different forms of life on earth millions of years ago and for whatever reason died out interesting, and their very existance ought to disprove the creationist theory, but doesn't seem to

My son is 45 and has always been interested in dinosaurs since childhood...he was never frightened of them and many of his school projects included them. He always had an enquiring mind which is why he is a journalist now. Don't knock it embrace the fact that children are interested in something other than celebrity!

I still have my boys box of dinosaurs which my grandchildren also enjoy playing with.